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Russia Withdraws
In March 1917, civil unrest in Russia, due to war-related shortages of food and fuel, forced Czar Nicholas II to step down.
Nearly 5.5 million Russian soldiers had been wounded, killed, or taken prisoner.
As a result, the war-weary Russian army refused to fight any longer.
Russia Withdraws
Communist leader Vladimir Lenin seized power. Lenin insisted on ending his country’s involvement in the war.
One of his first acts was to offer Germany a truce.
In March 1918, Germany and Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended the war between them.
The Central Powers Collapse
Russia’s withdrawal from the war allowed Germany to send nearly all its forces to the Western Front
The Germans surged forward and clashed with the Allies at the 2nd battle of the Marne but were defeated
With the arrival of 2 million more American troops, the Allied forces began to advance steadily toward Germany
The Central Powers Collapse
The Central Powers began to crumble. First the Bulgarians and then the Ottoman Empire surrendered.
In October, revolution swept through Austria-Hungary.
In Germany, soldiers mutinied, and the public turned on their leaders
The Central Powers Collapse
On November 9, 1918, German leader Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down
A representative of the new German government met with the French
The two signed an armistice- an agreement to stop fighting. On November 11, World War I came to an end.
Assignment
1. What issues led to Russia’s withdrawal from the war?
2. What was the result of the second Battle of the Marne?
3. What led to the withdrawal of Austria-Hungary in the war?
4. Define armistice.
5. Why do you think revolutions occurred in these countries?
The Legacy of the War
World War I was a new kind of war
It involved the use of new technologies.
It ushered in the notion of war on a grand and global scale.
It also was the most deadly war the world had seen
New Technology
Poison GasSoldiers wore masks like those shown at left to protect themselves from poison gas. Gas was introduced by the Germans but used by both sides. Some gases caused blindness or severe blisters, others death by choking.Machine GunThe machine gun, which fires ammunitionautomatically, was much improved by thetime of World War I. The gun, shown to theleft, could wipe out waves of attackers andthus made it difficult for forces to advance.TankThe tank, shown to the left, was an armored combat vehicle that moved on chain tracks—and thus could cross many types of terrain. It was introduced by the British in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme.SubmarineIn 1914, the Germans introduced thesubmarine as an effective warship. Thesubmarine’s primary weapon against shipswas the torpedo, an underwater missile.
The Legacy of the War
About 8.5 million soldiers died as a result of the war.
Another 21 million were wounded.
Countless civilians died from starvation, disease, and slaughter.
Taken together, these figures meant an entire generation of Europeans were wiped out.
The Legacy of the War
The war also had a devastating economic impact on Europe.
The great conflict drained the treasuries of European countries. One account put the total cost of the war at $338 billion, a staggering amount for that time.
The war also destroyed acres of farmland, as well as homes, villages, and towns
The Legacy of the War
Another significant legacy of the war lay in its peace agreement
The treaties to end World War I were forged after great debate and compromise.
While they sought to bring a new sense of security and peace to the world, they prompted mainly anger and resentment